The Rescue of Jonathan
First Samuel 14: 36-46
The rescue of Jonathan DIG: Why do you suppose God refused to answer Sha’ul? Why did ADONAI single out Jonathan? What could YHVH be trying to tell Sha’ul through the Urim and Thummim? Why did Sha’ul make another oath? Where did the loyalty of Sha’ul’s troops lie: With Sha’ul? Jonathan? ADONAI?
REFLECT: What position of authority do you presently find yourself in? How do you guard yourself from being bullied by abusive authority? How can you be more godly in defending yourself? In what ways are you impulsive and uncertain in your words? What lessons can be learned from Sha’ul’s foolish behavior?
The Bible’s commentary on Sha’ul’s foolish oath,
is given by means of an incident involving his son Jonathan.
Earlier, we heard Jonathan’s frustration with his father’s foolish oath to act religious (to see link click Ch – Sha’ul’s Foolish Oath). Now, it is another man closest to the king who expressed concern over the wisdom of his commands. Evening had already come, and that’s why Sha’ul’s oath was not long binding, and everyone had eaten. Now the king envisioned a renewed pursuit of the Philistines during the night.314 Sha’ul said: Let’s attack the Philistines by night. This would be a surprise attack because armies of that day didn’t fight at night. We’ll plunder them until dawn. Then he added: We won’t leave one of them alive (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh). His purpose would be to destroy the Philistine ability to continue waging war. The soldiers answered: Do whatever seems good to you. By that time they had eaten and their energy had returned.
The Urim and Thummim (14:36-37): But Ahijah the high priest said: Let’s inquire of God here. This was a polite way of suggesting that they consult the LORD before acting on Sha’ul’s plan. Sha’ul, perhaps deriving new hope from his most recent religious observance, agreed to seek a revelation from YHVH through the Urim and the Thummim of the high priest (see the commentary on Exodus Gb – The Urim and Thummim: The Means of Making Decisions). So Sha’ul consulted God, asking: Should I go down in pursuit of the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Isra’el? But the response of the Urim and Thummim was that God didn’t answer him that day. ADONAI wouldn’t answer either “yes” or “no.” We can only imagine Sha’ul’s frustration. Therefore, although Sha’ul’s oath was a foolish one, it was still a binding oath made in God’s Name, and the sin resulted in the silence of Ha’Shem.315 Imagine the effect this failure must have had on the troops, standing by to renew the assault, only to witness the silence of the LORD toward their king and high priest. God’s refusal to give an omen was an ominous omen in itself!
Sin in the camp (14:38-39): ADONAI’s refusal to speak to Sha’ul or Ahijah subjected the king’s religious observance to public ridicule. The king obviously felt it necessary to provide a reason for the failure, and remembering Isra’el’s earlier lesson in which Achan’s sin had hampered the whole nation (see the commentary on Joshua Bd – The Sin of Achan). Then, calling for the Urim and Thummim again, Sha’ul said: Come here, all you who are leaders of the army. Think carefully: who has committed this sin today? Sha’ul knew there was sin in the camp that caused the silence of God. But he didn’t know what the sin was or who committed it. Then, not surprisingly, Sha’ul made another rash oath. For, as sure as ADONAI is Isra’el’s deliverer, even if it proves to be Jonathan my son, he must be put to death. Just as Jonathan personified the triumphant faith of Gideon of old, Sha’ul personified the foolishness of Jephthah (Judges 11:30-40). But even though there were those present who knew that Jonathan was the guilty party, no one among all the people answered him. They did not want to be responsible for Jonathan’s death.
The identification of Jonathan (14:40-42): Then he said to all Isra’el, “You be on one side, and Jonathan my son and I will be on the other side.” It is obvious that Sha’ul expected the guilty one to be among the people. The people replied to Sha’ul, “Do what seems good to you.” Then Sha’ul prayed to ADONAI, the God of Isra’el, “Give me the perfect answer?” So, Ahijah the high priest inquired of the Urim and Thummim, and Jonathan and Sha’ul were chosen, and contrary to Sha’ul’s expectations, the people were free from any guilt. It was not obvious why Sha’ul put himself and his son on one side and the rest of Isra’el on the other. Perhaps this reflected his guilty need to exonerate himself, and he added Jonathan in an attempt to bolster his case. Having exonerated himself, he could then safely play the role of Joshua in calling for a new Achan to emerge to face judgment. But this plan, too, was frustrated by the LORD. Then Sha’ul said to Ahijah, “Cast the Urim and Thummim once again between me and Jonathan, my son. And Jonathan was chosen.” Ha’Shem did not pronounce the death sentence, He merely identified the one who had broken Sha’ul’s oath made in God’s Name.316
The rescue of Jonathan (14:43-46): Then Sha’ul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you did.” Jonathan confessed, “Yes, I tasted a little honey with the end of the staff in my hand. And he did not try to justify himself by saying he had not heard of the oath before doing so. He candidly admitted, and for that I must die.” Jonathan recognized that he must pay the penalty for violating an oath made in God’s Name. But Sha’ul, showing his true character and lack of leadership, said: May God do the same to me and more also if you are not put to death, Jonathan (14:43-44)! Now the penalty for violating an oath was not death. However, Sha’ul had made another oath in God’s Name to execute the guilty party; thus, for Sha’ul not to execute his son, put Sha’ul in violation of his own oath!317
But the people said to Sha’ul, “Must Jonathan die, he who has accomplished this great deliverance in Isra’el (see Ce – Jonathan Attacks the Philistines)? The irony was that without Jonathan, there would have been no great victory to begin with! No! Now the people made their own oath! As ADONAI lives, not one hair of his head will fall to the ground; because he did this today with God’s help!” In this way the people rescued (Hebrew: vaiyifdu, meaning redeemed) Jonathan, so that he didn’t die. Then Sha’ul stopped pursuing the Philistines from a more decisive defeat, and the Philistines returned to their own land (14:45-46). Sha’ul’s credibility was now completely shattered – a remarkable achievement for a king on a day when God had granted such a great victory over his enemies. Yet, because of Sha’ul’s foolishness, the Philistine army lived to fight again, and ironically, this would eventually cost Sha’ul his own life (see Dk – Sha’ul Takes His Own Life).
What lessons should we learn from Sha’ul’s foolish behavior? As Richard Phillips relates in his commentary on 1 Samuel, the first lesson is that the recovery of God’s favor requires those who have sinned to humble themselves before ADONAI, seeking His grace. The absence of such humble contrition, with a frank admission of his sins and failures, is the glaring omission from the many accounts of Sha’ul’s reign.
The difference between sinful Sha’ul and sinful David is the same difference between the sinful apostate Judas and the sinful apostle Peter, both of whom betrayed Yeshua on the night of His arrest. The difference between David and Peter, on the one hand, and Sha’ul and Judas, on the other, is a humility that repents of sin and seeks the Lord’s mercy. David’s great prayer of repentance begins with both a fervent plea for mercy and a trusting faith in God’s offer of forgiveness through the sacrificial blood: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2). David’s faith was looking forward to the true Lamb of God, Yeshua Messiah, represented by the blood of lambs and goats and bulls, who takes away our sin (John 1:29). There was nothing keeping Sha’ul from this same kind of sincere repentance and faith, with the result that he would have been restored to ADONAI’s favor, except the hardness of his unbelieving heart. Here we see Sha’ul’s ultimate foolishness: at every turn he resorted to outward shows of religious observance, which served only to avoid the opening of his heart in humble repentance before the LORD.
This lesson applies to every sinner affected with the foolishness of his or her own sin. Do not think that God can be bought off with good works, religious observance, or cash payments. Ha’Shem calls on every sinner to confess his or her sin and appeal to the blood of the Savior whom YHVH has sent, Yeshua Messiah. He promises: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:9). Yeshua Himself gives the verdict on Sha’ul’s failed religion: Everyone who lifts himself up will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be lifted up (Luke 18:14). Since Sha’ul was seeking to lift himself up, his proud progress was all downhill; whereas, if he had lowered himself in humility, God would have lifted him up in true spiritual progress and strength.
Second, Sha’ul shows the need for spiritual leaders to be sincerely motivated for God’s will and the salvation of God’s people, and not for mere self-interested gain. People who rely on their positional leadership, without an inspiring example of faith and a living ministry of God’s grace, are as likely to harden their followers against the Lord as they are to lead them to salvation (see Ezra-Nehemiah Ch – The Completion of the Walls Despite Opposition: ten fatal flaws that derail those who think they are in charge). Consider the remarkable faithfulness exhibited by Jonathan and the faithful endurance of Isra’el’s soldiers, who did their best to keep Sha’ul’s foolish oath. Yet, in the end, the bitter effects of hard-hearted spiritual leadership can only alienate true-hearted followers, so the foolish leaders find their strongest opposition in the most faithful servants.
Third, Sha’ul reveals the destiny of even the best of us if we are not guided by the Word of God. Notice the absence of the prophet Samuel and the silence of YHVH! This reveals Ha’Shem’s primary judgment on Sha’ul’s unbelief. How tragic it is when we believers foolishly place ourselves in the same position by failing to pray and reflect daily on God’s Word. It is a fearful thing to leave ADONAI and His ways only to give one’s self up to the impulses of one’s own heart? Fearful for even the humblest of us, let alone one with great resources and influence, with a whole nation under him! Let us fear, indeed, that such a disaster should happen to us, our families, or the congregations of God. Instead, let the wisdom of the Psalms speak to the desire of our hearts. Make me know Your ways, ADONAI, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth, and teach me; for You are the God who saves me, my hope is in You all day long. Remember Your compassion and grace, ADONAI; for these are ages old. O LORD, don’t remember my youthful sins or transgressions; but remember me according to Your grace for the sake of Your goodness (Psalm 25:4-7).318
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